Coupling-centering device.



No. 727,901. PATENTED MAY 12, 1903.

E. F. GHAFFEE. I

COUPLING GENTERING DEVICE.

I APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28. 1903- 30 MODEL.

A ll] Ii MIMI! llllllll,

Patented May 12, 1903.

FFICE.

ATENT EDIVARD F. OI-IAFFEE, OF ALBANY, NElV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO FORSYTH BROTHERS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,901, dated May 12, 1903.

Application filed February 28, 1903. Serial No. 145,518. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

. Be it known that I, EDWARD F. OHAFFIJE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Al"? bany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coupler-Centering Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to coupler-centering devices for railway-cars, having reference more particularly to that class of devices now extensively employed in railway practice for automatically centering the coupler-heads of draw-bars through the provision of elastic means operating laterally upon the draw-bars to return them to a position substantially coincident with the longitudinal center line of the car. Heretofore such centering devices have generally taken the form of a presser head or plate backed by a spring located on either side of the draw bar and operating thereagainst in a direction transversely of the car. Such devices, however, when thus positioned being limited to the transverse dimensions of the car are necessarily considerably limited and cramped in longitudinal dimensions, and hence afford less than the maximum efficiency obtainable in such devices were the springs thereof otherwise located, so as to render their operation most effective.

It is the object of my present invention to provide a coupler-centering device characterized by the provision of a two-part guide, the parts of which are located and operate upon the opposite sides of the draw-bar, respectively, and are provided with independent elastic operating means so located as to occupy space most available therefor beneath the car-body and not imposing restrictions upon thelongitudinal dimensions or the yielding movement of said elastic mediums.

To this end my invention consists in a twopart coupler -centering guide the parts of which are fulcrumed and are independently retracted from' their outward or laterallyswinging movement by independent elastic mediums suitably located to effect such movements.

A device which illustrates the principle and essential characteristics of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, where- 1n- Figure 1 is a top plan view of a preferred form of my invention, the draw-bar broken away being indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the same. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. at is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a slightly-modified form of the invention, and Fig. 5 is a central longitudi nal vertical view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4:.

Referring to the drawings, 6 designates the transversely-disposed hanger or carry iron in the usual form, which is ordinarily suspended from'the under side of the end of the car-body. Rigidly secured on the upper face of the central horizontal section of said hanger is a stationary plate 7,' the front margin of which is preferably flush with the hanger, while its rear portion is extended for some distance rearwardly of the inner or rear marginof the hanger, being somewhat widened and having its edge turned up to form a vertical flange 8.

The ends of the flange 8 are inwardly turned and rounded or curved, as shownat 8%, to form fulcrum-abutments for the elements or members ofa two-part draw-bar guide or saddle, which elements are designated by 9 and 10,

respectively. These elements are of identical but inverse construction, being provided at their forward ends with upstanding lugs 9 and 10, respectively, and at their rear ends with rounded projections or knuckles 9 and 10, respectively, designed to fulcrum with a rocking movement against the seats formed at 8 in the flange 8 of the stationary plate 7. The rear adjacent corners of the guide-plates 9 and 10 are mortised, as shown at 11 in Fig. 3, to receive the rear ends of a pair of springbolts 12 and 13, respectively, being pivotally united to said bolts by pins 14 and15. The. bolts 12 and 13 extend rearwardlythrough apertures in the flange 8 and are'surrounded by coiled compression-springs 16 and 17, re spectively. The inner ends of these springs abut the outer face of the flange 8, while their opposite ends abut collars 18 and 19, passed over the outer ends of the rods 12 and 13 and retained thereon by nuts 20 and 21, respec tively.

22 designates the draw-bar. (Shown by dotted lines in top plan broken away in Fig. 1 and in transverse section in Fig. 2.)

The operationis as follows: When the drawbar is swung radially, as in passing around a curve, in the direction of the guiding-lug 9, so as to engage and force outwardly the latter, the plate 9 is rocked on its fulcrum and its pivot-pin let is drawn in a curved path toward the front margin of the plate 7, thereby drawing inwardly thebolt 12 and compress ing the spring 16. W'ith the parts in such positions and the spring 16 under compression the obvious tendency of the latter is to rock the guide-plate 9 back into normal position, as shown, and thereby return the draw-bar through lateral pressure thereon to a central or normal position. It will be observed that the action and movement of each guiding member 9 and 10 is entirely independent of the other member, and hence when the drawbar swings laterally and stands at an angle to the hanger-iron other than a right angle ample clearance is maintained between the bar-engaging lugs 9 and 10 by reason of the fact that there is no tendency on the part of the lug not engaged by the draw-bar to follow the bar in its swinging movement away therefrom.

In some cases it may be desirable to allow the guide-plates 9 and 10 to rest directly upon and operate directly over the hanger-iron itself, which construction permits a hangeriron of less depth to be employed. In such cases the stationary plate on which the guiding members are fnlcrumed is extended below the central horizontal member of the hanger-iron and bolted or otherwise secured to the under side thereof, as shown at 7 in Figs. 4 and 5. This, it will be observed, allows the forward ends of the guide-plates 9 and 10 to seat and slide directly upon the hanger-iron, the operation of this modified form of the invention being the same as that already described in connection with the preferred form shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

I claim-- 1. In a coupler-centering device, the combination with a stationary support, of a multipart draw-bar-centering guide the parts of which are independently fulcrumed thereon, andmeansconnectedindependently with each of said parts tending to center the same when laterallydisplaced,substantiallyas described.

2. In a coupler-centering device, the combination with a hanger-iron, of a two-part draw-bar guide supported thereby, and independent operating 11193.718 associated with each of said parts, substantially as described.

3. In a coupler-centering device, the combination with a stationary support, ofa twopart draw-bar guide carried thereby and fulcrumed thereon, said parts being inversely disposed and adapted to swing outwardly under the lateral stresses of the draw-bar, and a returning-spring connected to each of said parts, substantially as described.

4. In a coupler-centering device, the combination with a hanger-iron, of a stationary plate secured thereto and extending in rear thereof and having fulcrum-seats, a pair of inversely-disposed twin draw-bar guides seated on said plate and fulcrumed on said fulcrum-seats, respectively, said guides being provided with draw-bar-engaging lugs, and a pair of springs connected respectively to said guides and independently tending to center the same, substantially as described.

5. In a coupler-centering device, the combination with a hanger-iron, of a stationary plate secured thereto and extending in rear thereof, a pair of inversely-disposed twin draw-bar guides seated on said plate and independently fulcrumed thereon, said guides having vertical lugs adapted to engage the respective sides of the draw-bar, and a pair of returningsprings independently connected to said guides on opposite sides of the fulcrums thereof from said guide-lugs, whereby said guides constitute levers to center the draw-bar, substantially as described.

6. In a coupler-centering device, the combination with a hanger-iron, of a stationary plate secured to the under side of said hangeriron, draw-bar-centering guides fulcrumed on said stationary plate, and operating means for said guides, substantially as described.

7. In a coupler-centering device, the combination with a hanger-iron, of a stationary plate secured to the under side of said hangeriron, draw-bar-centering guides fulcru med on said stationary plate, and operating-springs for said guides abutting said stationary plate,

substantially as described.

EDWARD F. CHAFFEE.

\Vitnesses:

GEORGE P. Fox, (1. W. LAw'roN. 

